Welcome to a slightly different looking weekly email! There are many Havurah Happenings coming up. We'd love to see you at these events.
Please feel free to stop by my office and say hello! You can also send any questions or concerns to brad@havurahshalom.org. I'm looking forward to meeting you all!
All the best,
Brad Pector
Communications and Membership Coordinator
503-248-4662 ext. 4
This Week
Support Lift Up Portland Tomorrow! Thursday, August 22nd, 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm, Montgomery Park 2701 NW Vaughn
Support Lift Urban Portland feeds low-income neighbors in northwest and downtown Portland. This annual fundraiser features treats by Elephants and Baker & Spice, silent and live auctions, and entertainment. Get to know more about an organization that Havurah supports and that provided more than 100,000 meals last year. Casual dress. Easy parking. Good cause. Tickets are $65. Find out more at www.lifturbanportland.org.
Upcoming Community Minyan Saturday, August 24th, 10:00 am
This Saturday's leaders and leyners include Roger Brewer, Ken Lerner, Harriet Cooke, Tivona Reith, Becky Chiao, Barbara Slader, Sam Sirkin, and Marty Brown. In this week’s Torah portion, Ekev, Moses tells the Israelites that if they obey God’s commandments, the nations across the Jordan won’t harm them and the land will overflow with milk and honey. The Israelites also learn that they will need to dispossess the people there so they won't be tempted to turn away from God.
Special Kiddush Lunch After Community Minyan Saturday, August 24th, 12:15 pm
Dick Mastbrook is hosting a special kiddush lunch at Havurah to celebrate his 90th birthday! Please come celebrate with us after services. This event has no cost.
RSVP: arleenslive@gmail.com
Book Group: The Way to Spring Tuesday, Aug. 27th, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine - Ben Ehrenreich, a novelist and writer for publications such as the New York Times Magazine and Harpers, lived in a West Bank village and documented its struggle against the Occupation. For this remarkable work of journalism, he received the National Magazine Award. Discussion led by David Newman at Havurah.
Inside Havurah
Celebrate 40 Years of Havurah Shabbat School with Us
Let’s hear and see your reflections! On November 23rd, 4:00 pm, we will look back and marvel on 40 years of our unique and amazing family cooperative Jewish education model, while envisioning our future. Will you share some reflections, recollections, photos, memories of the Shabbat School experience for you, your children, your family? Deborah and Brad (Havurah’s new Communications and Membership Coordinator) will create a short film for our celebration. You can find out more by clicking here.
Add Your Voice to the High Holidays!
Havurahniks, we invite you to add your voice to our prayer and celebration at High Holidays this year by submitting a “mini-drash” or kavanah to be included in our services. These short reflections or sharing of life experience, 2-3 minutes long, can be either in response to this year’s theme “Hineinu” or connected to the annual themes of teshuvah (returning / renewal / repentance) or forgiveness. The writing can be your own, or it can be a reading that expresses something true for you.
Send to rachel.pollak@havurahshalom.org with the subject line “Mini-drash 2019”.
Join Us for Dorot Shabbat Friday, September 6th, 6:00 pm Service, 6:45 Potluck Dinner
Please join us for a casual, family-friendly, and music-filled service. Beginning with candle lighting, Kiddush and challah, the service continues with prayers and music, followed by a vegetarian potluck dinner. RSVP here by Sept 4th.
Kabbalat Shabbat Is Quickly Approaching! Friday, September 13th, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Join us for a catered vegetarian dinner on September 13th at 6:30 pm, followed by a short, musical service at 7:30 pm. RSVP for the dinner by Sunday, September 8th. For cost adjustments, call 503-248-4662 ext. 2. No RSVP is required for the service portion. Childcare is provided.
Learn About the Upcoming Global Climate Strikes! Saturday, Sept 14th, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm at Havurah
The Havurah Climate Action Team invites you to attend an informational event about the Sept 20th & 27th Global Climate Strikes. We will hear from student climate activists, the Sunrise Movement, and other organizers about the upcoming strikes. This is a great opportunity to learn more and get questions answered. The strikes will be huge, international events focusing on the Climate Emergency and the lack of action to address the biggest crisis facing humanity. Students, parents, and others will strike from school and work to attend protests.
Hashiveinu: Musical and Spiritual Preparation for the Days of Returning Thursdays, Sept. 12th, 19th, 26th, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm at Havurah
We will interweave singing High Holiday melodies with reflecting upon and discussing the themes and meaning of this sacred time. Everyone is welcome, whether or not you consider yourself a singer. Facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin and others. RSVP here.
RSVP for Rabbi’s Contemplative Practice and Walk in the Forest Sunday, September 15th, 7:00 am, Lower Macleay Park
We will gather in Lower Macleay Park in the early morning, beginning with some chanting then walking mindfully along the trail. In the midst of this month of Elul, we will access teachings and intentions from the tradition to direct us toward teshuvah, the returning and renewal of this season. This will be a very short hike at a gentle pace. We will conclude by 8:30 am. Contact Rabbi Benjamin with questions. Click here to RSVP by Sept. 8th.
Have a Question About Havurah?
The Transparency and Inclusivity Committee welcomes your questions! We will find the answer and publish the question (but not the questioner) and answer in an upcoming Hakol. It is our intention at Havurah that what you know and understand about our congregation should not be a function of who you know. If you find yourself wondering about something related to Havurah, or if someone shares their question with you, we hope you will send your question to transparency@havurahshalom.org.
In June's Hakol, the question dealt with the issue of Havurah's growth. Our current co-presidents were interviewed to provide an answer.
Please use this form to submit stories for this weekly community email. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday each week.
Havurah Shalom is a vibrant, diverse, participatory Jewish community steeped in Jewish values promoting spirituality, learning, and acts of social responsibility.
Writing Group Thursday, Jan 23rd 7:00p to 9:00p David Kertzner will be leading another Havurah adult amateur writers group for anyone who wants to explore their interest in prose writing – and is not a published writer or working on a big writing project.
This group welcomes people who have never shared their own writing or worked in a group before, but would like to try! The focus will be memoir writing in the broadest sense of the word. We will strive to be a supportive, reflective community using writing prompts and discussion to generate short pieces each week. Participants will select one of their pieces to develop in more depth and then share at a culminating Friday oneg for the Havurah community.
Group size is limited to 8 participants. We will meet together for 8 sessions on Thursday evenings from 7-9 pm, January 16, 23, 30; February 6, 13, 20, 27; March 5 and a public reading with an Oneg on March 6.
Spot reservations do not open until the spring!
Please call David Kertzner if you have questions.
Jewish Power and Powerlessness Sunday, Jan 26th 10:00a to 12:00p “They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s… talk about it.” The 20th century gave us examples of the most extreme Jewish powerlessness and unheard-of Jewish power as well. But the history of Jews and political, military and social power — especially so-called “soft power” — is much more complicated, much more nuanced than popular consciousness has led us to believe. How did Jews use communal wisdom and the concerted application of influence to ensure centuries of survival? Where was the Church, the Reformation, the growth of secular power and the emergence of modern society for all of this? There are several perspectives to consider, and we’ll break it down, from Philo to philo-Semitism. Taught by David Feder. 10-11:30 am, Sundays, Jan. 19 & 26
